“Clap, clap!”
Yang Hana smiled happily and clapped her hands, and Daesik standing beside her began clapping his doll hands together in imitation.
Jung-sik, who lacked such hands, began to sway his body from side to side instead, but seemingly growing irritated, he started shooting out jelly from his back.
Upon being showered with this jelly, Yang Hana, who looked entirely pleased, clapped her hands through her laughter with jelly smeared across her face.
The main character receiving this enthusiastic cheering was, of course, Sosik.
It was odd seeing this boy awake when usually all he did was sleep except for meal times, and watching from the side with Jelly made me somewhat want to offer a lukewarm consolation to the lad.
No wonder, either.
…Forced to wake up just to be clothed, Sosik could only numbly stand, stepping on the ground vacantly. In that moment, a dress had already been put on him, and the reason Yang Hana was cheering was because the dress suited him exceptionally well.
Sosik appeared not to realize what had transpired, as if he had just been roused by force. His vacant expression suggested he wasn’t sure whether he was still dreaming or awake.
Seeing him like this reminded me somewhat of myself… His expression, that is. The dress oddly suited him too, come to think of it.
Well, the dress did look good on Sosik.
The little, cute outfit on his small, doll-like body—ignoring how disturbingly blue it was—made him look like a doll in its charm.
…It’s probably because I share some resemblance with him that my shoulders are involuntarily rising and falling.
Though I’d rather be called handsome than pretty, looking good isn’t exactly a disadvantage either.
Appearance is a form of competitiveness after all.
I couldn’t help but feel like I was benefiting from similar attributes.
In any case…
As Sosik remained oblivious to what was happening, Yang Hana contemplated something briefly as if a sudden thought struck her, then struck her fist into her palm and abruptly left.
The festive atmosphere seemed to deflate. Even Daesik tapping his doll fists and Jung-sik spraying jelly appeared awkwardly stilled by her departure.
Sosik, who had unsteadily risen but seemed bored by the clinging fabric, lazily shook it off with his hands and soon lost interest, sitting back down.
If left like this, he would probably just lie down again and sleep…
Then the dress Yang Hana had worked so hard on would end up being used like a rag.
If Sosik’s body gets sticky, it might as well become some sort of sticky cloth for sweeping dust…
And lying down while unconscious will make him roll around inevitably.
A feeling of slight dissatisfaction came over me as I approached Sosik to lift the hem of his dress, careful not to soil it.
Lifting it just a little bit made me feel like some sort of villain.
Sosik, looking dazed and vacant.
Me, holding up the hem of his dress.
And then, once the hem was lifted, his blue legs started to show.
…Hmm, that’s something.
Still, thinking it couldn’t be helped, as I was about to take the dress off him…
“Here!”
Yang Hana burst back into the room, panting, carrying something.
As our eyes met—me mid-removal of Sosik’s dress, her holding whatever she brought—she suddenly…
…Carrying a small mirror roughly sized for Sosik, saw me holding up the dress and said, with an expression that was both regretful and teasing:
“I think it’s wrong to envy too much and take what’s not yours. Besides, it wouldn’t suit you anyway.”
No no, it’s not like that…
As I vigorously shook my head and let go of the dress hem during this absurd misunderstanding, she placed the mirror down and patted my head.
“I didn’t expect you to want it so much. Hmm… Since fabric is scarce right now, I’ll ask the seniors for help, and I’ll definitely get it and make you something even prettier! Hehe!”
Even as I frantically shook my head and crossed my arms in a big “X,” Yang Hana was already lost in her own playful mode, giggling all the while.
She seemed to believe I was embarrassed.
…At this point, I felt it was futile to try and change her mind.
Letting out a sigh, accepting my defeat while bubbling with jelly, Yang Hana shifted her attention back to Sosik.
She placed the fairly large mirror she had fetched earlier in front of the listless Sosik.
…Does she think he hasn’t reacted because he hasn’t seen his own reflection?
Perhaps she might be disappointed again.
Given no specific reason, but since Sosik originated from me, wouldn’t we share similar inclinations?
…Like only sleeping and not liking these kinds of clothes.
Daesik might naturally find interest in these being like parts of his body.
But me and Sosik find clothes more like nuisances.
They block the view. They’re uncomfortable, aren’t they?
Just as I was idly sending a lukewarm sympathy towards a supposedly disappointed Yang Hana…
Sosik, staring intently at the mirror, suddenly spun around and made an expression that seemed highly intrigued, as if declaring his approval of the dress.
…Huh?
Why are you so pleased?
Amidst this strange betrayal, Yang Hana started clapping.
“Yes, yes! It suits you really well!”
Daesik, who had paused his clapping, resumed banging his doll fists together, and Jung-sik resumed his jelly sprays.
Sosik himself now seemed to have become charmed by his own reflection in the mirror, swaying his body gently while displaying evident satisfaction.
…How could he do that?
Are you… actually the Sosik from the depths of my existence? Or did someone switch you?
Somehow, I felt like an uninvited guest.
In this setting, it seemed the only one who felt uncomfortable with the situation was… probably just me.
…In the town of one-eyed people, having two eyes would indeed be abnormal.
It looked like I was the only sane person in this room.
And thus, while admiring his reflection in the mirror, Sosik, apparently now treasuring the dress, climbed onto the bed instead of lying down on the floor.
…Alright, if you like it, who am I to argue?
Could this be what it feels like for a parent to watch their adolescent child?
With an inexplicable sense of nostalgia bubbling within, I glanced at the mirror as Jelly bubbled up.
Yang Hana’s next target was decided.
Carrying fabric and what seemed to be spray paint, she approached the sphere that had landed in the corner.
After a while…
[What exactly is this piece of meat doing?]
“Huh? Is something talking?”
Yang Hana began spraying the sphere with what seemed like cleaning spray, then started wiping it with the fabric.
Caught off guard by this sudden action, all I could do was blink at the jelly, while the sphere emitted a slightly high-pitched mechanical sound.
Click, click, click, click.
The ceiling, walls, and floor then opened, and drones that looked familiar appeared, aiming their weapons.
Where had I seen them? Oh, those were the ones repairing the facility and shooting lasers at me.
…Eh, so the drones surely aren’t aiming at Yang Hana, right?
Though she seemed to grasp the situation quickly, she raised her hands in surrender, waving them like a person trying to surrender.
[How dare you…]
Hearing that tone from the sphere, I was certain that the surrendered Yang Hana was about to be incinerated by the laser.
Was it even considered a crime? But would it matter to the Singularity?
Caught completely unsure what to do, I looked at Yang Hana, approached the sphere, and placed my hand on it while observing her.
Judging from what she was holding, she probably intended to clean the sphere.
How sweet.
Why hadn’t Kim Cheon-soo or Han Seori warned her about this killer sphere?
…Ah, then I realized I hadn’t conveyed any such warning either, making me feel awkward.
Nevertheless.
Upon conveying that Yang Hana had no intention to harm it and merely wanted to clean the sphere, the drones that had emerged everywhere disappeared almost comically in perfect formation, like bodyguards in a cartoon.
[Had the message been transmitted sooner, it would have been better. Serving a superior entity by an inferior race may be… natural, but still acceptable.]
This guy is also super weird.
Until his inherent human discrimination (if that’s what it is) disappears…, perhaps there will be no need for me to relay his words.
Instead, I can simplify the expression.
I looked at Yang Hana, who had lowered her arms, and gestured for her to continue cleaning.
Upon resuming her work on the sphere, Yang Hana muttered in admiration:
“Wow… I thought you were just cute, but you’re amazing!”
“Hmph”.
You only realized now, huh?
As I felt my shoulders and my somewhat soft nose rise, I watched Yang Hana, who was enthusiastically cleaning the sphere.
…Judging by her readiness to raise her hands in defense, she seems not entirely clueless.
Then why won’t she understand why I don’t want to wear that outfit?
Could it be intentional disregard?
Ah, unlikely.
And so, amidst the discomfort and slight superiority, the door opened and Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo entered.
I assumed they came to check on Yang Hana after observing her through a camera-like device, but after briefly asking if she was alright…
They suddenly turned to look at me.
Especially…
Han Seori’s expression was exceptionally…
…Complicated and tinged with sadness.
I had this premonition that something significant was coming.
Huh?
This feels strangely familiar, like some experience I’ve had before…?
